Automatic cleansing apparatus for use in association with ampoules or similar containers

ABSTRACT

An automatic cleansing apparatus for use in association with ampoules or similar containers in which ampoules to be cleansed are successively fed to a rotatory supply disc having a plurality of ampoule receiving pockets by a suction force. The ampoules held in the pockets of the supply disc are rotated through a certain angle carried by the supply disc and then transferred to the transport drum formed with a plurality of nozzles radially outwardly projecting therefrom for injecting liquid into the interior of each of the ampoules. The ampoules are, during a period in which they are carried by the transport drum, successively cleaned and dried, which are thereafter transferred to a removal unit from which the ampoules are fed to the following process.

United States Patent Taniguchi Jan. 21, 1975 AUTOMATIC CLEANSINGAPPARATUS 2,347,057 4/1944 Lakso 134/010. 1 x FOR USE IN ASSOCIATIONWITH 3,311,500 3/1967 Seto 134/66 X AMPOULES OR SIMILAR CONTAINERSPrimary Examiner-Robert L. Bleutge [75] Inventor: shin'lchi TaniguchiNara Japan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wenderoth, Lind & Ponack [73]Assignee: Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd.,

Osaka, Japan [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Feb. 21, 1973 An automaticcleansing apparatus for use in association with ampoules or similarcontainers in which am- [21] Appl' 334248 poules to be cleansed aresuccessively fed to a rotatory supply disc having a plurality of ampoulereceiv [30] Foreign Application Priority Data ing pockets by a suctionforce. The ampoules held in Feb. 21, 1972 Japan 47-18331 the pockets ofthe pp y disc are rotated through a certain angle carried by the supplydisc and then [52] U.S. Cl 134/43, 134/DIG. 1, 134/62, transferred tothe sp rt d u ed with a plu- 134/68, 134/79, 134/134, 134/152, 134/171rality of nozzles radially outwardly projecting there- [51] Int. Cl B08b3/02 from for injecting liquid into the interior of each of [58] Fieldof Search 134/D1G. 1, 43, 62, 66, the ampoules, The p ul s a du i g aperiod in 1154/ 3 7 79 134 152 171 which they are carried by thetransport drum, successively cleaned and dried, which are thereaftertrans- [56] References Cit d ferred to a removal unit from which theampoules are fed to the following PI'OCESS.

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AUTOMATIC CLEANSING APPARATUS FOR USE IN ASSOCIATION WITH AMPOULES ORSIMILAR CONTAINERS The present invention relates to an apparatus forautomatically cleansing ampoules, or similar narrownecked containers,prior to sealing of said containers.

There are known cleansing devices for ampoules or similar narrow-neckedcontainers, a typical example of these known devices being comprised ofa rotatory transport disc or drum, and nozzles for ejection of a washingor cleansing fluid. In such a device ampoules, phials or similarcontainers (below abbreviated to ampoules) are supplied to the rotatorydrum or disc which carries them around a circular path. During a certainportion of this circular path, a cleansing fluid nozzle is inserted intothe mouth of each ampoule and cleansing fluid is injected into theampoule. However, such conventional systems suffer from the disadvantagethat there is inevitably shaking of the ampoules, since they aretransported mechanically and nozzles for injecting cleansing fluid areinserted into their mouths by mechanical shifting means. As a result ofthis shaking, satisfactory alignment of nozzles and ampoule mouths ishardly ever attained. This is particularly true since the mouth of anampoule is very narrow and therefore if an ampoule deviates by even asmall angle from perfect alignment with a nozzle, the nozzle may strikeagainst the lip of the ampoule, or even miss the ampoule altogether.Moreover, the mechanical shaking of ampoules, etc., obviously increaseswith speed of operation, which leads to an increased possibility ofmisalignment between ampoules and cleansing fluid nozzles, so that abovea certain speed the cleansing operation becomes almost completelyineffective. Thus, these apparatus are not only unsatisfactory atmoderate speeds of operation but also impose severe restrictions on theupper limits of the speed of operation.

In an attempt to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages, automaticcleansing devices have heretofore been proposed wherein theabove-described rotatory disc or drum is further provided with aseparate attachment for centering ampoules with respect to the cleansingfluid nozzles. However, such devices also been found to presentdisadvantages that make them effectively impractical. The principaldisadvantage is that such separate centering attachments, by their verypresence, hinder the operation of bringing ampoules to be cleansed tothe nozzles and are liable to damage the ampoules. Another disadvantageis that such attachments increase the size of the transport drumassembly; and, when it is further considered that an automatic cleansingapparatus also requires the provision of means, such as a heater, fordrying, disinfecting and depyrogenizing ampoules that have been washed,it is evident that the provision of still further attachments on thedrum make it practically impossible to attain a rational construction.

Accordingly, an essential object of the present invention is to providean automatic cleansing apparatus for ampoules or similar narrow-neckedcontainers which can be utilized in connection with nozzles or similarpipes for injecting cleansing fluid into ampoules with substantialelimination of the above-mentioned disadvantages inherent in theconventional apparatus of similar character.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide anautomatic cleansing apparatus for ampoules of the type above referred towherein ampoules, or similar narrow-necked containers are held correctlypositioned and centered with respect to cleansing fluid ejectionnozzles, which are automatically inserted in the ampoules, the wholeoperation being carried out accurately and at an efficient rate; andwhich also makes possible, in a simple construction, necessarypost-cleansing operations such as drying, disinfecting, depyrogenizing,etc.

According to the present invention, there is provided an automaticcleansing apparatus for ampoules essentially comprising a rotatory drum,which transports ampoules, etc., during the cleansing stage, and arotatory disc which is connected to and rotates synchronously with therotatory drum, and supplies ampoules to be cleansed to the rotatorydrum. The rotatory supply disc possesses pockets disposed at equalintervals around its periphery. These pockets are round or polygonal incross-section and they are connected to a vacuum producing means whithinor attached to the disc. Ampoules to be fed to the rotatory transportdrum for cleansing are inserted into these pockets, held there by thesuction force produced by the vacuum means in connection with thepockets, and while thus held, are carried to a point where they meet therotatory transport drum in the common normal line connected between bothcentral axes of the rotatory supply disc and the rotatory transportdrum. As each ampoule reaches this meeting point, connection between thevacuum producing means and the pockets in which the ampoule is beingcarried is blocked, with the result that the ampoule is free to betransferred to the rotatory transport drum, as is described in fulldetail below. At this meeting point between supply disc and transportdrum, ampoules may come out of the pockets due to their own weight ortheir exit may be effected or assisted by a blast of compressed fluid.The rotatory transport drum has nozzles for the ejection of cleansingfluid disposed around its periphery at equal intervals. The speeds ofrotation of the supply disc and the transport drum and the pitches ofthe pockets and nozzles thereof are such that successive nozzles on thetransport drum arrive at the meeting point between the transport drumand supply disc simultaneously with successive pockets in the supplydisc. When an ampoule in a supply disc pocket comes to this meetingpoint, it is released from the suction force holding it in the pocket,is tilted and inserted into a transport drum nozzle, and thereafter iscarried by the transport drum with the nozzle. Cleansing of ampoules iscarried out while they are being carried on the rotatory transport drum.After the cleansing stage they are released from the nozzles either byfalling free therefrom under their own weight or by being pushedtherefrom by pressurized fluid.

As described above, the rotatory disc supplies ampoules to the rotatorytransport drum for cleansing. Ampoules are fed to the rotatory supplydisc by means of a rotary conveyor belt, or similar means, which bringsampoules from an outer source, (for example, an accumulating or stackingtable) and guides them one at a time and upright into a charger adjacentto the rotatory supply disc. Ampoules are transferred bottom first intothe above-mentioned supply disc pockets. One ampoule is transferred toeach successive pockets, and the transfer is effected by a combinationof suction force applied within a pocket and by the ampoule fallingunder its own weight. When ampoules have been thus transferred they arecarried around in the supply disc pockets with their heads extendingoutwardly. Ampoules are held in the supply disc pockets by suction forceapplied to their peripheries within the pockets, and this suction forceis applied in that portion of the supply discs rotation during whichampoules are to be carried by the supply disc.

The cross-section of the pockets is circular or polygonal. Sinceampoules are not held in the pockets mechanically, but are held there bya suction force, which allows some adjustment of ampoule position,suitable selection of pockets size and dimensions can ensure correctpositioning and centering of ampoules within the pockets. 7

The suction means can be, for example, air passages drilled within thesupply disc, each passage connected at one end to a pocket and at theother end to a fixed vacuum-producing means. When ampoules reach thepoint where they are to be transferred from the supply disc to therotatory transport drum (i.e. the abovementioned supply disc andtransport drum meeting point), they are released from the suction force.When the suction force is removed from an ampoule and the supply disccontinues to rotate, the ampoule starts to point downward due to itsweight or due to an external force applied to it and so slides out ofits pocket with its head forward. Transfer of ampoules can also beeffected or assisted by compressed fluid (e.g., water under pressure, orcompressed air) directing the ampoules towards the transport drumnozzles.

In the present invention, by selecting suitable dimensions and shape ofthe pockets in the supply disc, positioning of ampoules in the pocketscan be satisfactorily controlled since they are not held rigidly in thepockets by mechanical means, but by a suction force, Also, when anampoule on the supply disc reaches the transport drum and supply discmeeting point, it comes into line with a transport drum nozzle. Sincethe alignment of an ampoule in a supply disc pockets is controlled andsince the alignment of the transport drum nozzles is predetermined, whenan ampoule comes to this meeting point the corresponding nozzle isperfectly centered with respect to the ampoule mouth, and when theampoule is extended from the pocket, in which it has been transported,its neck portion fits accurately around the nozzle, without any risk ofimpact between the nozzle and the ampoule. Moreover, this transfer fromthe supply disc to the transport drum is effected by a force from acompressed fluid or by natural movement of the ampoule, and thereforethe whole operation is much smoother and more accurate than is possiblewhen transfer is effected by mechanical elements. As described ealier,ampoules are carried in pockets at equal intervals on the periphery ofthe supply disc, and the nozzles on the transport drum also are disposedat equal intervals. The disc and drum rotate synchronously, andsuccessive pockets are positioned opposite successive nozzles at thesupply disc and transport drum meeting point, and therefore successiveampoules are transferred from the supply disc to the transport drum atthis meeting point. Thus the invention presents the advantage thatinsertion of nozzles into ampoules is automatic and efflcient.

The inventors carried out tests and found that, as opposed toconventional apparatus the operational efficiency of supplying ampoulesaccording to the device of the present invention was as much as 2-3times greater when transfer was effected by compressed fluid, and about1.5 times as great even when ampoules 5 were simply allowed to movenaturally from the supply disc to the transport drum. lf ampoules are tobe moved out of the supply disc pockets by the force of a compressedfluid, an easy and suitable means for achieving this is by a compressedfluid supply apparatus which communicates with the above-describedsuction passages when the pockets reach the position where ampoules areto be transferred, (i.e., the supply disc and transfer drum meetingpoint). As each pocket, and the ampoule it is carrying, reaches thispoint, the suction force applied through the corresponding air passageis discontinued, and therefore the passage is free to used for directinga compressed fluid against the ampoule in the pocket to which thepassage is connected.

The invention presents the further advantage that even when an ampouleis faultily constructed and improper alignment between a nozzle and theampoule results, the ampoule and nozzle are not forced together, as whenmechanical means are used, but they are simply moved together, either bya compressed fluid or by the ampoule moving naturally under its ownweight. As a result, faulty ampoules automatically fail to betransferred, and there is no damage due to such ampoules being forcedonto the transport drum. Also, since ampoules and cleansing fluidejection nozzles are automatically aligned with respect to one anotherand nozzles automatically inserted into ampoules, the inventiondispenses with the need for providing the transport drum with auxiliarycentering apparatus. This has the advantages that there is no risk ofsuch apparatus damaging ampoules or hindering the supply of ampoules tothe transport drum, and also means that the drum assembly is not therebyenlarged and unduly complicated, and therefore it is possible to providemeans such as a heating chamber on the line of travel of ampoules on thedrum, for post-cleansing treatment such as drying, disinfecting,depyrogenizing, but still maintain a compact construction.

Moreover, in conventional apparatus, when an auxiliary centeringapparatus with mechanically sliding parts is used in association with atransport drum provided with both cleansing and heating means, since itis adjacent to these means it is subjected to rapid cycles of wetting,by the cleansing means, and drying, by the heating means. This resultsin severe oxidation and rusting of the mechanically sliding parts of thecentering apparatus. This rusting leads to fouling of the ampoules andfurther lowering of the efficiency of the cleansing unit. The presentinvention avoids such problems, since no auxiliary centering apparatusis necessary, and the cleansing operation can proceed smoothly andefficiently.

In the invention, the actual step of cleansing when nozzles are insertedinto ampoules can be by any known method, for example by passingcleansing fluid or air through a nozzle into the ampoule in which thenozzle is inserted, or by an ultrasonic cleansing method. If anultrasonic cleansing method is used efficiency is quite high, becausethere is no auxiliary centering equipment which could reflect or deflectsound waves and thereby lower the efficiency of the operation.

In the subject invention, after ampoules have passed the cleansing stageon the transport drum (or if the drum is also provided with a heatingchamber, after they have passed the post-cleansing heating stage), theyare removed from the drum nozzles by the application of a compressedfluid, or by sliding off under their own weight. This method of removalhas the advantage that it is smoother and more efficient than removal bymechanical means. If the method for removal employs a compressed fluid,an example of such a method is as follows. As each nozzle and theampoule in which it is inserted reach a particular point on the rotatorypath of the transport drum, compressed fluid from a suitable supplysystem is passed through the nozzle and into the ampoule, thus pushingthe ampoule away from the nozzle. Alternatively, means can be providedfor expelling'compressed fluid near a fixed point on the rotatory pathof the transport drum positioned so that the compressed fluid it expelsis directed obliquely against the outer surface of each ampoule in turn,as the ampoules are carried around with the nozzles to the location ofthe blower. Needless to say the compressed fluid employed can be anysuitable fluid, and when, for example, it is required that the ampoulesbe kept germor dust-free, the fluid employed can be correspondinglygermor dust-free.

The preferred embodiment of the invention also provides means forautomatic rejection of ampoules that are broken in the cleansing, dryingor heating, etc., stage, due to ampoule defects such as interiordeformation, cracks, etc. This rejection means consists, for example, ofa compressed fluid blower and a vacuum suction duct. The blower ispositioned near the base portions of the transport drum nozzles anddirects a flow of compressed fluid towards the nozzle tips. The suctionduct is fixed facing the blower opening. Thus any broken ampoules areblown off the nozzles and drawn into and removed by the vacuum suctionduct.

These and other features and objects of the invention will becomeapparent from the description below taken in conjunction with preferredembodiments of the invention and with reference to the attacheddrawings, in which;

FIG. I is a schematic perspective view of an automatic cleansingarrangement and its associated parts according to one preferredembodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an elevational front view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with thecasing removed and portions thereof sectioned or blocked for the purposeof illustration of various component parts,

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus taken along the lineIIIIII in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 to FIG. are partially cross sectional views of the apparatustaken along the lines IV-IV to XX in FIG. 2, respectively and each shownon an enlarged scale;

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view showing a cushioning device employedin the apparatus taken along the line XI-XI in FIG. 2;

FIG. 12 is a partially perspective view showing a guide-out boardemployed in the apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 13 is a partially plane view showing an alternative feeding meanssimilar to that employed in the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a partially front view showing another embodiment of arotatory supply disc and a rotatory removal disc employed in theapparatus of the present invention; and

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken along the lineXV-XV in FIG. 14.

Before the description of the present invention proceeds, it is to benoted that like parts are designated by like reference numeralsthroughout the accompanying drawings. It is further to be noted that thepresent invention is hereinafter described as applied in cleansingampoules used to contain medical solution.

The ampoule cleansing apparatus according to the present inventiongenerally comprises, as shown in FIG. 1, a feeder unit X including ascrew conveyor A and a rotatory supply disc B; a cleansing unit Yincluding a rotatory transport drum C, a cleansing liquid bath D and adrying device E; and a removal unit Z including a rotatory removal discF and a screw conveyor G. The units X, Y and Z are carried by a suitableframework and arranged in a substantially triangular arrangement as willbe apparent from the following description. However, for facilitating abetter understanding of the present invention, the description will bemade in connection with these individual units X, Y and Z in the ordergiven above.

FEEDER UNIT X Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the screw conveyor A in thefeeder unit X may be of any known type and includes a screw-conveyorhelix 2 having a pitch substantially equal to the outer diameter of eachampoule 1. This screw conveyor A is used to sequentially supply aplurality of ampoules I, placed on a suitable tray 3, which mayotherwise be in the form of an endless belt conveyor or any other cage,to the rotatory supply disc B. The screw conveyor A is driven by asuitable electrical motor (not shown) at a predetermined speed as willbe mentioned later.

The rotatory supply disc B is, as clearly shown in FIG. 3, mounted on ashaft 4 rotatably extending through a bearing structure 5, which forms apart of the machine framework. One end of the shaft 4 rigidly carriessaid supply disc B and the other end rigidly carries a driven gear 6.This rotatory supply disc B is rotated in a predetermined direction byan electrical motor M, the rotational force of which is transmitted tothe disc through said gear 6 in a manner as will be described later.

The rotatory supply disc B must have a thickness greater than the outerdiameter of the body la of each ampoule l to be used with the cleansingapparatus herein disclosed. Along the periphery of said rotatory supplydisc B and on the surface thereof facing the screw conveyor A, thesupply disc B is formed with a plurality of diametrically equidistantlyspaced and radially arranged cut-out portions 7 of substantially U-shaped cross section. Each portion 7 is so sized as to accommodatetherein the body 1a of the ampoule 1, fed from the screw conveyor A,while a substantially tapered head portion lb of said ampoule l ispartially or wholly radially outwardly projected from the peripheralsurface of said supply disc B. The rotatory supply disc B is formedtherein with a plurality of independent vacuum passages 8, each havingone end 80, in open communication with the corresponding cut-out portion7 at a position corresponding to a substantially intermediate portion ofthe body la of the ampoule l and the other end 8b intersecting the othersurface of said supply disc B. It is to be noted that. on the othersurface of said supply disc B facing the bearing structure 5, the openends 8b of these vacuum passages 8 are arranged in a circularconfiguration in an equidistantly spaced relation with respect to theshaft 4 or the axis of rotation of the supply disc B.

The rotatory supply disc B is also formed therein with a plurality ofindependent blow passages 9 having one end 9a communicating with thecorresponding cut-out portion 7 at a position corresponding to thebottom of the ampoule 1 and the other open end 9b intersecting the othersurface of said supply disc B. It is to be noted that, on said othersurface of said supply disc B, the open ends 9b of these blow passages 9are arranged in a circular configuration in an equidistantly spacedrelation with respect to the shaft 4 and also with respect to the openends 8b of the vacuum passages 8. As will be described later, duringrotation of the supply disc B, the vacuum passages 8 are selectivelyplaced into communication with a suction unit H, which may comprise avacuum pump operated by an electrical motor, for holding each of theampoules l in the corresponding cut-out portion 7 by suction and theblow passages 9 are selectively placed into communication with anelectrically operated compressor unit J for producing a blast ofcompressed air.

For this purpose, the following arrangement is provided in a spacebetween the rotatory supply disc B and the bearing structure as clearlyshown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5. In the space between said disc B and saidstructure 5, a stationary disc 10 is non-rotatably supported by thebearing structure 5 by means of at least one pair of leg members 10a,each having one end rigidly connected to one of the disc B and thestructure 5 and the other end slidably received by the other element. Inthe embodiment as shown, each of the leg members 10a is shown as havingone end rigidly connected to the disc B and the other end slidablyinserted in a recess 5a formed in the bearing structure 5. Thisstationary disc 10 is urged towards the supply disc B by means of acompression spring 11 mounted, for example, on the shaft 4 within saidspace, with one surface of said stationary disc 10 slidably contactingthe surface of the rotatory supply disc B. The resiliency of thecompression spring 1 1 should be selected such that the contact betweensaid stationary disc 10 and said supply disc B is sufficiently tight toavoid a pneumatic leakage of air from the passages 8 and to be suppliedto the passages 9, both through said disc 10 as will be described later,and can allow said supply disc B to rotate relative to the stationarydisc 10.

On the surface of the stationary disc 10 facing the surface of thesupply disc B, a curved groove 12 having leading and trailing endsrelative to the rotational direction of the supply disc B, is formed tocomply with the circular path of travel of each of the ends 8b of therespective passages 8. In addition, the stationary disc 10 is formedtherein with a passage 13 whereby the curved groove 12 to maycommunicate with the suction unit H. The curved groove 12 is arranged insuch a manner that, while the screw conveyor A horizontally extends soas to successively feed the ampoules 1 from the tray 3 to the supplydisc B in a row and in an upright position, the trailing end of saidcurved groove 12 is situated on the vertical line passing through theaxis of rotation of the supply disc B. Thus, as any one of the ends 8bof the vacuum passages 8 approaches the trailing end of the curvedgroove 12 during the rotation of the supply disc B, communicationbetween the suction unit H and the corresponding cut-out portion 7 inthe supply disc B is established through the passage 13 via thecorresponding vacuum passage 8, permitting the first of the ampoules lin the row to be drawn into and held in the cut-out portion 7 bysuction. The leading end of the curved groove 12 is situated at aposition such that the amouple 1 held in the cut-out portion 7 in therotating supply disc B is substantially horizontally supported as willbe described later.

The stationary disc 10 is also formed therein with a passage 14 havingone open end adapted to selectively communicate with any one of the ends9b of the blow passages 9 in the supply disc B and the other end adaptedto communicate with the compressor unit J. The position of the firstmentioned end of said passage 14 should be selected such that, only wheneach of the ampoules 1 held in the cut-out portions 7 becomeshorizontally positioned with the head portion lb oriented towards therotatory transport drum C of the cleansing unit Y, will compressed airbe supplied from the compressor unit J to the corresponding blow passage9, a blast of air emerging from the open end 9a of the passage 9 beingused to eject the ampoule 1 from the cutout portion 7 onto the rotatorytransport drum C. To enable the ampoules l to be ejected from therespective cut-out portions 7 in the supply disc B in a sequentialmanner, it is to be noted that the leading end of the curved groove 12is situated to permit communication between the curved groove 12 and anyof the vacuum passages 8 to be discontinued immediately after thecommunication between a passage 14 and the corresponding one of the blowpassages 9 has been established, as shown in FIG. 5. Nevertheless, thefirst mentioned end of the passage 14 is situated on the circular pathof travel of the open ends 9b of the respective blow passages 9 forestablishing selective communication therebetween during the rotation ofthe supply disc B.

In the arrangement so far described, the speed at which the screwconveyor A feeds the ampoules l and the rate of rotation of the supplydisc B should be synchronized so that the cut-out portions 7 in thesupply disc B, rotating in the clockwise direction as viewed from FIG.2, are successively registered with the first of the ampoules l in therow. With the above in mind, each time the ampoules l are successivelybrought in position to register with one of the cut-out portions 7 inthe supply disc B, communication between the passages 8 and the curvedgroove 12 is established, whereby the amouples 1 fed by the screwconveyor A can be drawn from said conveyor A into the correspondingcut-out portions 7. The supply disc B is rotated in the clockwisedirection with some of the cutout portions 7 receiving therein acorresponding number of the ampoules 1. Each time the front of theampoules held in the cut-out portions 7 is to be horizontallypositioned, the communication between the passages 8 and the curvedgroove 12 is interrupted. Immediately after this communication has beeninterrupted and at the time the front of the ampoules held in thecut-out portions 7 is in a horizontal position, communication betweenthe passage 9 and the passage 14 is established whereby a blast ofcompressed air can be applied to the bottom of the ampoule 1, thuspermitting the latter to be ejected from the corresponding cut-outportion 7 with the head portion lb of said ampoule oriented towards therotatory transport drum C.

Cleansing Unit Y Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 and 5 to 9, the rotatorytransport drum C is mounted on a shaft rotatably extending through thebearing structure 5 and having one end rigidly carrying said transportdrum C and the other end rigidly carrying a driven gear 16. Gear 16meshes with a drive gear 17 which is rigidly mounted on a motor shaft 18of the electrically operated motor M. The shaft 15 also has a firstintermediate gear 19 mounted between said driven gear 16 and the bearingstructure 5, which meshes with the driven gear 6 on the shaft 4 througha suitable gear train, generally indicated by 20. It is to be noted thatthe supply disc B and the transport drum C should be rotated by thecommon motor M in opposite directions with respect to each other at suchrespective speeds that the peripheral velocities of said disc B and saiddrum C are equal.

The transport drum C is formed therein with a plurality of fluidpassages 21 each having one open end 21a situated on the peripheralsurface of said drum C another other open end 21b situated on a surfaceof said drum C facing towards the bearing structure 5. It is to be notedthat the open ends 21a of the passages 21 in the drum C arediametrically spaced with respect to each other at a distance equal tothe distance between adjacent Cut-out portions 7 in the supply disc B.Nozzles 22 corresponding in number to the cut-out portions, radiallyoutwardly extend from the peripheral surface of said transport drum C.Each of the nozzles 22 must have a sufficient length to permit the tipof the nozzle 22 to be inserted in the ampoule 1 as shown in FIG. 6 toan extent to be positioned adjacent the bottom of the ampoule.

The minimum distance between the periphery of the supply disc B and theperiphery of the transport drum C is achieved when the ampoule 1, heldin the cut-out portion 7 in the disc B, and the nozzle 22 in the drum Care both horizontally aligned with respect to each other as shown inFIGS. 2 and 5. The transfer of the ampoules 1 from the supply disc B tothe transport drum C is successively performed by the action of a blastof compressed air applied from the open end 9a of the passage 9 to thebottom of each ampoule when the head portion 1b of the ampoule isaligned with one of the nozzles 22; the open end of the ampoule adaptedto receive said nozzle 22 therein in the horizontal direction. In FIG.5, the ampoule being transferred from the cut-out portion 7 in the discB to the corresponding nozzle 22 in the drum C is clearly illustrated bya double chain line. It is to be noted that either the open end of eachampoule or the tip of the corresponding nozzle 22 is spaced from theother at a distance of a few millimeters, preferably, within the rangeof 2 to 3 millimeters.

There will be a possibility that the ampoule ejected from the cut-outportion 7 and mounted on the corresponding nozzle 22 will be broken whenthe open end of said ampoule abuts against a coupler 22a used to connectthe nozzle 22 to the open end 21a of the passage 21 in the transportdrum C. To avoid this possibility, a cushioning device K is provided ata position where the nozzles 22 successively receive the respectiveampoules. This cushioning device K comprises, as shown in FIGS. 5 and11, a pair of leaf springs 23, each suspended from the machine frameworkin any suitable manner and a rubber pad 230, preferably made of siliconrubber, secured to a free end thereof. The leaf springs 23 are urgedtoward each other by their own resiliency and the rubber pads 23a are incontact with each other. However, when any one of the nozzles 22 isbrought into position to receive the ampoule 1 from the supply disc Bduring rotation of the transport drum C in the counterclockwisedirection as viewed from FIG. 2, the nozzle 22 is inserted between saidrubber pads 23a as shown in FIG. 11 thus forcing the leaf springs 23away from each other. This condition of FlG. l1 continues until thetransfer of the ampoule from the supply disc B to the transport drum Ccompleted. From the foregoing, it is clear that, because of theemployment of the rubber pads 23a, no ampoule is broken upon transfer ofthe ampoule to the transfer drum C.

It is to be noted that, instead of the use of the cushioning device Kseparated from the transport drum C, rubber coverings, each of which maybe made of the same material used in the rubber pads 23a, may beemployed with each nozzle 22 extending through a rubber covering.However, the use of the rubber coverings instead of the cushioningdevice K should be determined depending on what type of container whichthe cleansing apparatus herein disclosed is used for. In the embodimentas shown, in view of the fact that the drying device E operates at anelevated temperature, a separate cushioning device K is employed toavoid a possibility that, if the rubber coverings are employed, theywill be burned, deformed or deteriorated.

Disposed below the transport drum C is an ampoule support 24, shown inFIGS. 2, 6 and 7 as comprising a pair of spaced guide rail.Alternatively, the support 24 may comprise a strip material having awidth smaller than the diameter of the body la of the ampoule l. Thesupport 24 extends along the peripheral surface of the transport drum Cin a constantly spaced relation relative to said peripheral surface ofthe transport drum and has one end situated adjacent to an ampoulereceiving position where the ampoule held in the cutout portion 7 anethe corresponding nozzle 22 in the transport drum C are centered oraligned with respect to each other as hereinbefore described. The otherend is situated adjacent the removal unit Z. This support 24 acts to,when the ampoules'mounted on the respective nozzles 22 are radiallydownwardly oriented during the rotation of the transport drum C, avoid apossible separation of the radially downwardly oriented ampoules fromthe corresponding one of the nozzles 22.

Also disposed below the transport drum C is a cleansing liquid bath Dfilled with cleansing liquid and including an ultrasonic wave emitter Lfor vibrating the cleansing liquid in the bath D so that the whole outersurface of each of the ampoules, 1 when successively submerged in thecleansing liquid bath D, can be cleaned.

In order to clean the interior of the ampoule with cleansing liquidsupplied through the nozzles 22, the following arrangement is employed.

Referring back to FIGS. 2 and 3, a stationary disc 25 is carried by thebearing structure 5 and urged towards the transport drum C by acompression spring 26 interposed between said structure 5 and saidstationary disc 25. The stationary disc 25 is supported by the bearingstructure 5 in substantially the same manner as the manner in which thestationary disc is supported, and the details thereof are thus omittedfor the sake of brevity.

As clearly shown in FIG. 2, the stationary dsic has one surface insliding contact with the corresponding surface of the transport drum C.The disc 25 has a curved groove 27 formed therein and in alignment withthe circular path of travel of each of the open ends 2112 of therespective passages 21 formed in the transport drum C. This curvedgroove 27 communicates with a pumping device N by means of a passage(not shown) having one end in communication with said curved groove 27and the other end connected with said pumping device N through asuitable conduit, said pumping device N being in turn connected with asuitable source of cleansing liquid which is preferably separate fromthe cleansing liquid bath D.

The curved groove 27 has a leading and trailing end with respect to therotational direction of the transport drum C. The trailing end of saidcurved groove 27 is situated at a position where any of the ampoulestransported by the transport drum C with the nozzles 22 inserted thereinis substantially ready to submerge in the liquid bath D, and thetrailing end thereof is situated at a position where any of the ampoulesthat have been cleaned in the bath D substantially emerges from saidliquid bath D. Because of this arrangement of the curved groove 27 inthe stationary disc 25, during a period extending from the time at whichthe passage 21 begins to communicate with the curved groove 27 until thetime the communication between said passage 21 and said curved groove 27is interrupted, cleansing liquid under pressure can be injected by thepumping device N into the interior of each of the ampoules havingtherein a corresponding nozzle 22 then communicated with the curvedgroove 27. The injected cleansing liquid flows under pressure asindicated by the arrow in FIG. 6 to clean the interior of one of theampoules and then flows out of said interior into the liquid bath D. Itis to be noted that, although not shown, the liquid bath D is providedwith an overflow pipe to maintain the liquid level at a constant height.

The stationary disc 25 also has a curved groove 28 formed therein andextending in alignment with the circular path of travel of each of theopen ends 21b of the respective passages 21 in the transport drum, saidcurved groove 28 having leading and trailing ends with respect to therotational direction of the transport drum C, said trailing end beingsituated at a position substantially corresponding to the entrance tothe drying unit E while said leading end is located at a positionsubstantially corresponding to the exit from said drying device E. Thiscurved groove 28 communicates with the compressor unit J by means of aconduit (not shown) for supplying compressed air to the interior of eachof the ampoules then passing through the drying unit as described indetail hereinafter. It is to be noted that the conduit extending betweensaid compressor unit J and said groove 28 includes a suitable switchingvalve (not shown) disposed therein, said switching valve being normallyclosed to interrupt the supply of the compressed air to the interior ofsaid ampoules through respective nozzles 22 via said groove 28 andadapted to open to permit the compressed air to be supplied thereto inan emergency, for example, when the motor M ceases to operate, orotherwise, as described hereinafter.

The stationary disc 25 is further formed on the same surface and at anintermediate position between the leading and trailing ends of therespective grooves 27 and 28 with a recess 29 aligned with the circularpath of travel of each of the open ends 21b of the respective passages21. This recess 29 communicates with the compressor unit J for applyinga blast of compressed air from the compressor unit J successively to theinteriors of the ampoules emerging from the liquid bath D. This is forthe purpose of removing from the interior of each of the ampoules thathave emerged from the liquid bath D. liquid drops sticking to theinterior surfaces thereof.

The drying device E is shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7 and comprises a hood 30of substantially U-shaped cross section suitably suspended from themachine framework and curved to conform to the curvature of thetransport drum C, and a heating element generally indicated by 31 andhoused within said hood 30. This drying device E concurrently acts asterilizer. Referring now to the curved groove 28, the ampoules, whichare relatively fragile, may be subject to thermal deformation duringtheir passage through the drying device E. In such a case, the switchingvalve disposed in the conduit connecting the compressor unit J and saidcurved groove 28 should be opened to supply compressed air from saidcompressor unit J, whereby overheating of the ampoules can be avoided.

The ampoules that have emerged from the exit of the drying device E aretransferred to the removal unit Z by means of a pick-up device 0 whichwill be hereinafter described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 8.

The pick-up device Q is, as shown in FIG. 2, disposed on the imaginaryline passing between the axis of rotation of the transport drum C andthat of the rotatory removal disc F of the removal unit Z and betweenthe peripheries of the respective drum C and disc F. As clearly shown inFIG. 8, this pick-up device 0 comprises a pair of solid blocks 32 ofsymmetrical construction having respective edges as at 32a with roundedprojections inwardly extending toward each other. These solid blocks 32are suitably supported by the machine famework in any known manner in aspaced relation with respect to each other, thus providing a space 33for successively accommodating therein the am poules emerging from thedrying device E.

The spaced solid blocks 32 are respectively formed with passages 34 eachhaving an open end 340 communicating with a suitable source ofcompressed air which may be the compressor unit J as shown, and anotheropen end 34b open towards the space 33 and oriented to apply a blast ofcompressed air to a shoulder portion of the ampoule l. The blast ofcompressed air may be continuously applied through the open ends 3412 ofthe passages 34.

From the foregoing, it should be clear that, each time the ampoulesenter the space 33, the ampoules can be removed from the correspondingnozzles 22.

The ampoules blown off from the nozzles 22 are successively transferredto the removal unit Z which will be hereinafter described with referenceto FIGS. 1 to 3, 8, 9 and 12.

It is to be noted that the rejector device P is disposed at a positionpreceding the cushioning device K and following the pick-up device Qwith respect to the rotational direction of the transport drum C, thedetails of which is shown in FIG. 10. With reference now to FIG. 10, therejector device P comprises a pair of nozzles 35 suitably suspended bythe machine framework and communicating with a source of compressed air,for example, the compressor unit J. These nozzles 35 are preferablyarranged in a symmetrical relation with respect to the longitudinal axisof each of the nozzles 22 on the transport drum C, the tips of saidnozzles 35 locating adjacent the coupler 22a and oriented towards thetip of the nozzle 22.

The rejector device P further comprises a receiving duct 41 having oneopen end oriented toward and in alignment with the longitudinal axis ofeach of the nozzles 22 on the transport drum C and another open endcommunicated with a trash box (not shown) of any suitable construction.The receiving duct 41 is at a reduced pressure due to a suitable vacuumdevice R for sucking into said receiving duct 41 broken ampoules blownoff from the corresponding nozzles 22 one after another by the blast ofcompressed air fed through the nozzles 35. The vacuum device R may beomitted, in which case it will be advisable to let the broken ampoules,after being blown off the nozzles 22 and received in the conduit 41,fall into the trash box by gravity.

From the foregoing, it has now become clear that the broken ampoules canbe positively and effectively removed away from the nozzles 22 prior tocompletion of each rotation of the transport drum C, i.e., preceding thesubsequent receipt of a new and uncleaned ampoule by the same nozzle 22.

Removal Unit Z Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 3, 8, 9 and 12, the removalunit Z is disposed substantially at a position corresponding to one ofthe vertices of the triangle while the supply disc B and the transportdrum C occupy respective positions of the other two vertices of the sametriangle, and at a position preceding the supply unit X with respect tothe rotational direction of the transport drum C with the rejectordevice P interposed therebetween. As hereinbefore described, the removalunit Z includes the rotatory removal disc F and the screw conveyor G,both similar in construction to the supply disc B and the screw conveyorA, respectively, of the supply unit X.

In view of a number of similarities in construction present between thesupply unit X and the removal unit Z, like parts employed in either thesupply unit x or the removal unit Z are, for the sake of brevitydesignated by like reference numerals employed in the other unit Z or Xbut each having a single prime.

The rotatory removal disc F is rigidly mounted on a shaft 4 rotatablyextending through the bearing structure 5 and rigidly carrying a drivengear 6', a rotational force of the motor M being transmitted to saiddriven gear 6 through the shaft by means of a gear train This removaldisc F is rotated in the same direction as the supply disc, but counterto that of the transport drum C. Moreover the peripheral velocity of theremoval disc is the same as that of the supply disc B and the transportdrum C. The rotatory removal disc F is, as clearly shown in FIG. 2, incontact with a stationary disc 10' as are the supply disc and thetransport drum.

The rotatory removal disc F is formed therein with the correspondingnumber of cut-out portions 7' and the passages 9', each having a pair ofopen ends 9a and 9b, all of the same configuration as those formed inthe supply disc B.

The screw conveyor G may be the same as the screw conveyor A employed inthe supply unit X. and is driven in synchronism with the screw conveyorA.

However, some differences resides. only these differences beinghereinafter described.

The stationary disc 10' is formed on the surface facing the removal discF with a substantially semicircular groove 36 having a length selectedsuch that a trailing end of said groove 36 with respect to therotational direction of said disc F is situated on the imaginary lineconnecting the axis of rotation of the removal disc F and that of thetransport drum C while a leading end of said groove 36 with respect tothe rotational direction of said disc F is substantially situated at aposition where the ampoules are successively transferred to the screwconveyor G. This semicircular groove 36 communicates with the suctionunit H through a passage 31 formed in said stationary disc 10'. Thissemicircular groove 36, in turn, communicates successively with the openends 9b of the passages 9' formed in the removal disc F. In other words,the groove 36 extends in alignment with the path of travel of each ofsaid open ends 91) of said passages 9.

Preferably, each pocket defined by the corresponding cut-out portion 7and a segmental plate 42 arranged adjacent the surface of the removaldisc F facing opposite to the stationary disc 10' has an opening orentrance axially outwardly enlarged as shown in FIG. 8. It is to benoted that the passages 9 correspond to the passages 9 in the supplydisc B, but differ in function from said passages 9. In other words,while the passages 9 in the supply disc B permit compressed air to passtherethrough to the corresponding cut-out portions 7 in the supply discB, the passages 9 in the removal disc F are substantially held undervacuum so that the cleaned ampoules blown off from the respectivenozzles 22 on the transport drum C can be successively accommodated inthe corresponding pockets defined respectively by the cut-out portions7' and the segmental plate 42.

The removal disc F is, in addition to the passages 9', formed on thesurface opposite to the stationary disc 10 with a discrete groove 38arranged substantially in a circular configuration and having a depth asshown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 12. As clearly shown in FIG. 12, this discretegroove 38 is associated with a nail member 39 having a knife edge 39aintegrally formed therewith, said nail member 39 being stationarilysupported by the machine framework at a position adjacent the screwconveyor G. This nail member 39 is constantly engaged in the discretegroove 38 with the knife edge 39a acting as a deflector for successivelydeflecting the ampoules held under suction in the respective cut-outportions 7' towards the screw conveyor G. It is to be noted that, at themoment when each ampoule has been transferred to the screw conveyor Gfrom the removal disc F, communication between the passage 9' and thesemicircular groove 36 is interrupted, thereby permitting the ampoule tobe smoothly transferred to the screw conveyor G by the nail member 39without substantially resistance to said nail member 39 which mayotherwise occur if the communication in question is maintained.

The ampoules successively received by the screw conveyor G are thentransported to the subsequent process, for example, a solution injectingprocess or any other process, in any known or desired manner.

FIG. 13 illustrates a modification of a portion of the supply unit X,which may apply to a corresponding portion of the removal unit Z aswell. Referring to this drawing, a deflector 40 is employed instead ofthe screw conveyor A. This deflector comprises a pair of side walls 40aof different length; one locating close to the supply disc B and theother remote therefrom. The front of the longer side wall, which islocated remote from said disc B, is curved or bent to form a deflectingelement with which the ampoules transported on the tray 3, by theapplication of a suitable external force, are successively deflectedtowards the supply disc B.

As stated above, this arrangement of FIG. 13 can be employed in theremoval unit Z as well with a slight modification, i.e., by securing thenail member 39 to the shorter side wall 40a.

In the second preferred embodiment of the present invention shown inFIGS. 14 and 15, the arrangement is made such that the ampoules aresuccessively supplied to the transport drum and the removal disc bygravity. For this purpose, the supply disc B, the transport drum C andthe removal disc F are arranged in a line and disposed on an imaginaryline passing through the axes of rotation of these rotatory members B, Cand F, while said discs B and F are in the form of a bevel wheel.Furthermore, in the arrangement of FIGS. 14 and 15, no passage meanssuch as designated by 9, 12 and 14 and 9', 36 and 37, which are requiredin the supply and removal units of the foregoing embodiment, arerequired. Although it is clear that the arrangement of FIGS. 14 and 15does not accommodate the employment of the liquid bath D employed in theforegoing embodiment, it may be satisfactory if the arrangement is usedfor cleansing the interior of each of the ampoules, the cleansing of theouter surfaces of said ampoules being left to a subsequent process.

So far as the supply unit X of FIGS. 14 and 15 is concerned. theampoules fed from the tray in a horizontal position are successivelysucked into the corresponding cut-out portions 7 and then rotatedthrough 180 carried by the supply disc B. At the end of the 180 rotationof the supply disc B, the ampoule is vertically downwardly oriented andfalls by gravity on to the corresponding nozzle 22 on the transport drumC then aligned with said vertically downwardly oriented ampoule.

In the removal unit Z of FIGS. 14 and 15, each time the transport drum Ccarrying the ampoules on the respective nozzles 22 completes rotationthrough 180, each of the ampoules successively downwardly oriented fallsby gravity into the corresponding pocket then aligned with saiddownwardly oriented ampoule. Since the segmental plate 42 has asufficient length to cover half the periphery of the removal disc F, theampoules received in the respective pockets can be effectivelytransported to a receptacle (not shown) disposed vertically below thetransport drum C. Cleansing of the interior of each of the ampoules is,of course, performed in the same manner as in the foregoing embodimentduring transportation of these ampoules by the transport drum C.

The arrangement of FIGS. 14 and I5 satisfactorily functions with nosubstantial reduction in performance as compared with the foregoingembodiment.

From the foregoing full description of the present invention inconjunction with the preferred embodiments thereof, it has now becomeclear that the automatic cleansing apparatus functions satisfactorilyand effectively to clean the amouples or similar containers at arelatively high speed. The handling capacity of the apparatus hereindisclosed has been found to be approximately 2 to 3 times, in case ofthe first mentioned embodiment, and approximately 1.5 times. in case ofthe second mentioned embodiment, that of the exemplary type of theconventional apparatuses of similar kind.

Although the present invention has been fully described, it is to benoted that various changes and modifications are apparent to thoseskilled in the art. For example, without the employment of the dryingdevice E and without connecting the groove 28 to the compressor unit J,warm air may be supplied to the interior of each of the ampoules orcontainers to be dried after having been cleaned. In this case, what isnecessary is to connect the groove 28 to a suitable source of the warmair. Accordingly, these changes and modification should be construed asincluded within the scope of the present invention unless otherwisedeparting therefrom.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic cleansing apparatus for ampoules or similar containers,which comprises:

a rotatory transport drum having a plurality of nozzles for ejection ofcleansing fluid, each of said plurality of nozzles projecting radiallyoutwardly from and at equal intervals around the periphery of saidrotatory transport drum, said nozzles adapted to be inserted within saidampoules;

a rotatory supply disc positioned adjacent said transport drum andhaving pockets therein, each pocket adapted to hold an ampoule inposition therein and disposed at equal intervals around the periphery ofsaid supply disc;

means coupled to said transport drum and supply disc for driving thetransport drum and the supply disc in predetermined directions, therates of rotation of the transport drum and the supply disc and thepitches of the nozzles and pockets respectively thereof being such thatnozzles on the transport drum successively arrive at a meeting point between the transport drum and the supply disc such that a nozzle and anampoule supported within said pocket are in alignment;

means coupled to said supply disc for holding ampoules in the pocketswhile the ampoules are being transported to the meeting point, ampoulesbeing released therefrom at said meeting point;

means operatively positioned for transferring an ampoule from saidsupply disc to said transport disc at said first meeting point so thatthe nozzle is inserted into the mouth of the ampoule, and comprised ofmeans for supplying a fluid under pressure for pushing each ampoule fromits pocket toward the nozzle;

means operatively positioned for supplying cleansing fluid to thenozzles of the transport drum during a cleansing stage which occursalong a portion of their rotatory path;

means positioned a predetermined distance from the transport drum forpreventing ampoules from falling off the nozzles during their travel inthe cleansing stage; and

means operatively positioned for removing an ampoule from the nozzle ofthe transport drum after said ampoule has passed through the cleansingstage on the transport drum.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said removing means iscomprised of means for supplying fluid under pressure for pushing theampoule away from the nozzle.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said holding meanscomprises means for generating a suction force for sucking ampoules intothe pockets.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said preventing meanscomprises an arcuate member having the same angle of curvature as thetransport drum so as to guide and slide the bottom portions of ampoulesthereon.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said transferring meansis associated with a shock absorber for absorbing any possible impactupon transfer of an ampoule from the supply disc to a nozzle of thetransport drum.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotatory transportdisc has a bevelled outer periphery in which there are formedampoule-carrier pockets spaced at equal intervals about the periphery.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotatory supply discis associated with a means for supply and loading ampoules into thepockets in succession at the initial position of the transporting stage.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a tank filledwith cleansing fluid and associated with an ultrasonic waves emitterdevice, into which ampoules held by the nozzles and the preventing meansare submerged during part of the cleansing stage.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a heatingchamber for drying ampoules held by the nozzles of the rotatorytransport drum after they have been submerged into the tank and removedtherefrom.

10. An automatic cleansing apparatus for ampoules or similar containerswhich comprises a rotatory transport drum having a plurality of nozzlesfor ejection of cleansing fluid, each of said plurality of nozzlesprojecting radially outwardly from and at equal intervals around theperiphery of said transport drum and adapted to be inserted into anampoule, a rotatory supply disc having pockets for holding ampoules inposition therein, said pockets disposed at equal intervals around theperiphery thereof, a rotatory removal disc having pockets for holdingampoules in position therein, said pockets disposed at equal intervalsaround its periphery, means operatively connected for driving thetransport drum, the supply disc and the removal disc in predetermineddirections, the speed of rotation of the transport drum, the supply discand the removal disc and the pitches of the nozzles and the pocketsbeing such that nozzles on the transport drum successively arrive at afirst meeting point between the transport drum and the supply discsimultaneously with successive pockets in the supply disc such that anozzle and an ampoule held in a pocket come into alignment and saidnozzles subsequently arrive at a second meet ing point between thetransport drum and the removal disc simultaneously with successivepockets in the removal disc such that a nozzle with an ampoule thereonand a pocket of the removal disc come into alignment, means operativelyconnected to the supply disc for holding ampoules in the pockets of thesupply disc during its transporting stage before arriving at the firstmeeting point where an ampoule is released therefrom, means fortransferring an ampoule from said supply disc to said transport disc atsaid first meeting point so that the nozzle is inserted into the mouthof the ampoule. and comprised of means for supplying a fluid underpressure for pushing each ampoule from its pocket toward the nozzle,means positioned a predetermined distance from the transport drum forpreventing ampoules from falling off the nozzles during their travel ina cleansing stage.'means operatively connected for supplying cleansingfluid to the nozzles of the transport drum during the cleansing stage onpart of their rotatory path, means operatively positioned fortransferring an ampoule from the nozzle of the transport drum toward thecorresponding pocket of the removal disc with its bottom outermost atthe second meeting point after said ampoule has passed through thecleansing stage on the transport drum so that the ampoule is insertedinto the pocket of the removal disc. and means for holding ampoules inthe pockets of the removal disc during its transporting stage from thesecond meeting point to a removal point whereat ampoules are releasedtherefrom.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said removing means isassociated with a shock absorber for absorbing any possible impact upontransfer of an ampoule from the nozzle of the transport drum to thepocket of the removal disc.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said rotatory removaldisc has a bevelled outer periphery in which there are formedampoule-carrier pockets spaced at equal intervals about the periphery.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said removal discholding means is comprised of means for supplying suction force forsucking ampoules into the pockets.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, further comprising a meansoperatively positioned for removing ampoules from the pockets of saidremoval disc in succession at the second removal point.

* l l l=

1. An automatic cleansing apparatus for ampoules or similar containers,which comprises: a rotatory transport drum having a plurality of nozzlesfor ejection of cleansing fluid, each of said plurality of nozzlesprojecting radially outwardly from and at equal intervals around theperiphery of said rotatory transport drum, said nozzles adapted to beinserted within said ampoules; a rotatory supply disc positionedadjacent said transport drum and having pockets therein, each pocketadapted to hold an ampoule in position therein and disposed at equalintervals around the periphery of said supply disc; means coupled tosaid transport drum and supply disc for driving the transport drum andthe supply disc in predetermined directions, the rates of rotation ofthe transport drum and the supply disc and the pitches of the nozzlesand pockets respectively thereof being such that nozzles on thetransport drum successively arrive at a meeting point between thetransport drum and the supply disc such that a nozzle and an ampoulesupported within said pocket are in alignment; means coupled to saidsupply disc for holding ampoules in the pockets while the ampoules arebeing transported to the meeting point, ampoules being releasedtherefrom at said meeting point; means operatively positioned fortransferring an ampoule from said supply disc to said transport disc atsaid first meeting point so that the nozzle is inserted into the mouthof the ampoule, and comprised of means for supplying a fluid underpressure for pushing each ampoule from its pocket toward the nozzle;means operatively positioned for supplying cleansing fluid to thenozzles of the transport drum during a cleansing stage which occursalong a portion of their rotatory path; means positioned a predetermineddistance from the transport drum for preventing ampoules from fallingoff the nozzles during their travel in the cleansing stage; and meansoperatively positioned for removing an ampoule from the nozzle of thetransport drum after said ampoule has passed through the cleansing stageon the transport drum.
 2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, whereinsaid removing means is comprised of means for supplying fluid underpressure for pushing the ampoule away from the nozzle.
 3. An apparatusas defined in claim 1, wherein said holding means comprises means forgenerating a suction force for sucking ampoules into the pockets.
 4. Anapparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said preventing means comprisesan arcuate member having the same angle of curvature as the transportdrum so as to guide and slide the bottom portions of ampoules thereon.5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said transferring meansis associated with a shock absorber for absorbing any possible impactupon transfer of an ampoule from the supply disc to a nozzle of thetransport drum.
 6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein saidrotatory transport disc has a bevelled outer periphery in which thereare formed ampoule-carrier pockets spaced at equal intervals about theperiphery.
 7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotatorysupply disc is associated with a means for supply and loading ampoulesinto the pockets in succession at the initial position of thetransporting stage.
 8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, furthercomprising a tank filled with cleansing fluid and associated with anultrasonic waves emitter device, into which ampoules held by the nozzlesand the preventing means are submerged during part of the cleansingstage.
 9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising aheating chamber for drying ampoules held by the nozzles of the rotatorytransport drum after they have been submerged into the tank and removedtherefrom.
 10. An automatic cleansing apparatus for ampoules or similarcontainers which comprises a rotatory transport drum having a pluralityof nozzles for ejection of cleansing fluid, each of said plurality ofnozzles projecting radially outwardly from and at equal intervals aroundthe periphery of said transport drum and adapted to be inserted into anampoule, a rotatory supply disc having pockets for holding ampoules inposition therein, said pockets disposed at equal intervals around theperiphery thereof, a rotatory removal disc having pockets for holdingampoules in position therein, said pockets disposed at equal intervalsaround its periphery, means operatively connected for driving thetransport drum, the supply disc and the removal disc in predetermineddirections, the speed of rotation of the transport drum, the supply discand the removal disc and the pitches of the nozzles and the pocketsbeing such that nozzles on the transport drum successively arrive at afirst meeting point between the transport drum and the supply discsimultaneously with successive pockets in the supply disc such that anozzle and an ampoule held in a pocket come into alignment and saidnozzles subseqUently arrive at a second meeting point between thetransport drum and the removal disc simultaneously with successivepockets in the removal disc such that a nozzle with an ampoule thereonand a pocket of the removal disc come into alignment, means operativelyconnected to the supply disc for holding ampoules in the pockets of thesupply disc during its transporting stage before arriving at the firstmeeting point where an ampoule is released therefrom, means fortransferring an ampoule from said supply disc to said transport disc atsaid first meeting point so that the nozzle is inserted into the mouthof the ampoule, and comprised of means for supplying a fluid underpressure for pushing each ampoule from its pocket toward the nozzle,means positioned a predetermined distance from the transport drum forpreventing ampoules from falling off the nozzles during their travel ina cleansing stage, means operatively connected for supplying cleansingfluid to the nozzles of the transport drum during the cleansing stage onpart of their rotatory path, means operatively positioned fortransferring an ampoule from the nozzle of the transport drum toward thecorresponding pocket of the removal disc with its bottom outermost atthe second meeting point after said ampoule has passed through thecleansing stage on the transport drum so that the ampoule is insertedinto the pocket of the removal disc, and means for holding ampoules inthe pockets of the removal disc during its transporting stage from thesecond meeting point to a removal point whereat ampoules are releasedtherefrom.
 11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein saidremoving means is associated with a shock absorber for absorbing anypossible impact upon transfer of an ampoule from the nozzle of thetransport drum to the pocket of the removal disc.
 12. An apparatus asdefined in claim 10, wherein said rotatory removal disc has a bevelledouter periphery in which there are formed ampoule-carrier pockets spacedat equal intervals about the periphery.
 13. An apparatus as defined inclaim 10, wherein said removal disc holding means is comprised of meansfor supplying suction force for sucking ampoules into the pockets. 14.An apparatus as defined in claim 10, further comprising a meansoperatively positioned for removing ampoules from the pockets of saidremoval disc in succession at the second removal point.